


you better go now, for i like you much too much

by orvynn



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: I Tried, Inspired by Stranger Things (TV 2016), M/M, SHEITH - Freeform, Stranger Things AU, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-12 15:35:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13550322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orvynn/pseuds/orvynn
Summary: "Listen, there's a pull-out sofa in my study if you want it, but if I were you I'd just cut the bullshit and share the damn bed."Or, the one where Keith and Shiro get called out on their shit.





	you better go now, for i like you much too much

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this instead of sleeping, so please forgive any spelling or grammatical errors. I didn't proof-read this nearly as well as I probably should've.

“Woo-hoo!” Murray exclaimed, raising his glass into the air. “To taking down the man!”

 

Shiro shifted to look at Keith, mirroring Murray’s celebratory gesture and watching Keith do the same. “To taking down the man!”

 

In unison, the three of them took a sip. Shiro grimaced the most, despite his being partially watered down. Keith, however, was drinking the Russian spirit straight, and it showed in his expression. He winced, swallowing despite the uniquely alcoholic burning sensation he felt as it went down. 

 

Shiro sat his cup down on the coffee table. He never really was one for hard liquor. The vodka both looked and smelled like rubbing alcohol, which he didn’t find all that appealing. It didn’t seem to make much of a difference to Keith, though. He was still knocking it back, despite the uncomfortable look on his face. 

 

“Commie bastards sure do know how to make a spirit, am I right?”   
  


Shiro sighed in quiet agreement. Yeah, something like that. 

 

Keith stayed silent. He was stressed and was having trouble hiding it, but he was finally gaining a sense of relief as the whole ordeal was coming to a neat conclusion. He was beyond glad it was over. Glad that the government assholes that let Barb die would get what’s coming to them, as well. 

 

Murray leaned forward and began to refill their glasses.

 

That definitely caught Keith’s attention. 

 

“Oh, no no no. We uh,” Keith shook his head and paused as if he was searching for an adequate excuse. “We can’t.”

 

“Yeah no, he’s right.” Shiro added, helping Keith out a little. “I’ve got to drive.”

 

Maintaining eye contact with Shiro, Murray continued pouring his own drink. “Drive? What, tonight?”

 

“Our…” Keith stuttered, glancing beside him to Shiro for  _ some assistance, dammit _ . “Our parents-”

 

“Would be proud if they knew what you were up to.” Murray had finished his thought for him, it seemed. He sat the bottle down on the table with a soft thud. “Just tell them you’re at Tammy’s or Dawn’s or whoever’s.” He took another drink, which was significantly less diluted. “And take my guestroom.”

 

Shiro and Keith froze, and the room turned deadly silent. Neither of them knew what to do or what to say. Murray had caught them entirely off guard. The only sound in the vicinity was that of soft jazz playing from a turntable across the room. 

 

If one listened close enough, you could almost hear the sound of the teenage panic emanating from Shiro and Keith both. Moreso from Keith though, he had far more to hide. He could feel his cheeks getting pink as Murray’s assumption sank in. 

 

_ Oh god, he thinks we’re an item.  _

 

He went way out of his way to make sure he kept his line of sight literally anywhere else except for on Shiro. 

 

Shiro turned to face Keith, feeling uncomfortable, and whispered. “I mean… should we stay?” 

 

That didn’t sound anything like Shiro’s normal tone of voice. Keith could tell he was nervous the second he opened his mouth. Was he worried?

 

Maybe he just really couldn’t handle his liquor.

 

“Well…” Keith pondered the thought for a moment. “I mean it is getting pretty late.”

 

Shiro nodded in agreement. “Could I uh, use your sofa?” He patted the seat, emphasizing his question.

 

Murray furrowed his brow and pursed his lips, looking a bit taken aback. “Okay, I’m confused.” He flicked his gaze between Keith and Shiro, trying to put the pieces together. “Lover’s quarrel?”

 

Shiro coughed, caught very, very off guard. “No! No, no. We’re uh, we’re… just friends.”

 

“Yep, friends!” Keith parroted, a little too hastily.

 

A knowing smile spread across Murray’s face. “Oh, okay. I see.” Eventually, he cracked up and burst out laughing.

 

Shiro fidgeted uncomfortably with his hands, and Keith just stared at the older man, feeling extremely embarrassed and trying hard not to show it. Not knowing how to react, the two of them sat there, awkwardly on the couch as they waited for Murray to finish his laughing fit. Meanwhile though, the tension in the room was so thick you could cut through it. It was pressing down on Keith and Shiro like a heavy weight.

 

Murray regained his composure. “Oh, oh man.” He said, almost giggling. “You’ve told me a lot of shockers today, but that,” He pointed in their general direction, relaxing back in his chair. “That’s the first lie.”

 

Keith squirmed a bit in his seat. “It’s not a lie.”

 

“No? The way you say that makes it sound more like you’re trying to convince yourself than me. And besides, you’re both young,” He tilted his head to his left side. “You’ve got chemistry.” He tilted his head to the other side. “And you’ve obviously got history.” He shrugged. “Plus, let’s forget the real shit: shared trauma.”

 

Murray pointed at Keith. “Trust issues, am I right?”

 

Keith jerked, stunned at the assumption. “What? No, I-”

 

“Something to do with your father.”

 

“I- no! I mean, my dad’s”

 

“An asshole,” Shiro finished. He could almost feel Keith boring holes into the side of his skull.

 

“Mm. It is a curse to see so clearly.” Murray smirked and finished off the contents of his glass.

 

Turning his empty glass upside down and setting it on his table, he turned his attention to Shiro. “And you, you’re a bit harder to read.”

 

Shiro looked up at the older man, his expression blank.

 

“Lemme guess... you have trust issues too? I mean, you’ve been through some serious deep shit, I can tell that much. I’m guessing that’s how you got that prosthetic?”

 

Shiro scratched the back of his head. “Well, yeah. I mean I guess other people have be-”

 

Keith scoffed. “He’s been through hell and back.”

 

Shiro whipped around to look at Keith, a bit shocked he’d just  _ say _ it like that. 

 

“Something to do with that other dimension, yeah?”

 

“How did you…”

 

Murray shook his head. “Lucky guess. I won’t make you talk about it if you don’t want to, though.” He leaned forward and looked to Keith. “Anyways, back to your issues.”

 

Keith held his breath. He couldn’t remember a time when he felt more put on the spot. 

 

“Probably, like everyone else you’re afraid of what would happen if you accepted yourself for who you really are and,” he sharply took a breath. “Retreated, back to the safety of… name!” He snapped his fingers. “Fill in the blank here, I need a name.”

 

“Lance.” Shiro answered without hesitation. 

 

“Oh!” Murray’s voice raised in pitch. “Lance, we like Lance!”

 

“Yes!” Keith snapped.

 

“Oh, but we don’t  _ love _ Lance.”

 

Keith stared at him.

 

“Now do we?”

 

“What? No, I mean- We-” Keith stumbled over his words, caught up like a fly in a spiderweb. Dammit.

 

Shiro watched as the events unfolded, watched as Keith fumbled through his speech. Murray really had both of them pinned down to a tee, and all three of them knew it on one level or another.

 

“I do.” Keith sighed. His resolve was withering away piece by piece. “I love Lance…” he trailed off, defeated. He’d been caught, as if the lie wasn’t spread thin to begin with.

 

“And there it is, folks.” Murray spoke with conviction. “The second lie of the evening.”

 

Once again, Keith and Shiro fell victim to silence. 

 

Damn. Keith knew he was an investigative reporter, but this guy was  _ really _ good at his job. 

 

He rubbed his palms together. He was too stunned to speak, and his hands were beginning to perspire. Shiro sat awkwardly on his end of the couch, staring straight ahead.

 

“So, how’d I do?”

 

Neither of the teenagers dared to look their interrogator in the eye. Or each other, for that matter.

 

Murray snickered. “My goodness, you two are adorable, aren’t you?”

 

Keith glanced over at Shiro, fleetingly. Definitely not long enough for the two of them to make eye contact. He knew all of his cards were on the table, and he had to admit it made him feel a bit naked.

 

“Listen,” Murray stood up, grabbing the mostly empty vodka bottle off the coffee table as he rose. “There’s a pullout sofa in my study if you really want to use it.” He straightened his housecoat, turned around and made his way over to the staircase. Placing his empty hand on the railing, he gestured with the bottle. “If I were you though, I’d cut the bullshit and share the damn bed.”

**Author's Note:**

> Part two is a work in progress. The song playing in the background during the original scene is Billie Holiday's You Better Go Now.
> 
> If there were any errors, please let me know! Feedback is always appreciated. Tumblr: sugarboyshiro.tumblr.com


End file.
